


Tiddles

by startrekkingaroundasgard



Series: 25 days of ficmas [7]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Kittens, i wouldn't wanna be the robot cleaning out that litter box, so many kittens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 13:29:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16893510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/startrekkingaroundasgard/pseuds/startrekkingaroundasgard
Summary: The reader comes home to find that Tony has adopted a cat for Christmas.





	Tiddles

Meow.

You blinked a few times and checked the kitchen for any sign that you weren’t going insane. Ever since you’d arrived back at the mansion, you’d felt like there was someone else with you. And now you were hearing things.

It had been a long few weeks, stuck in the city dealing with obnoxious bankers and even more tiresome lawyers, and this was your first day off in what felt like forever. Of course you had decided to come home to see Tony and surprise him with breakfast but now you were beginning to fear that you may be losing your mind and suddenly food seemed far less of a priority.

Meow.

There it was again. You definitely hadn’t imagined it that time. Checking around your feet, you saw a small kitten hiding beneath the kitchen counter, staring up at you with sparkling blue eyes.

You picked the tiny creature up and held it gently in your hands. The kitten was covered in silky soft grey fur and had a black splodge over one of its little eyes, reminding you of Nick Fury’s eyepatch. The kitten yawned, prompting a similar response from you and showing off its sharp baby teeth. It was one of the most adorable things you’d ever seen and you felt like it was love at first sight.

Stroking the kitten’s neck, tickling it behind the ear, you sung, “Who’s a pretty little kitty?”

The kitten meowed again before suddenly unsheathing its claws and digging the miniature daggers into your skin. It scampered up your arm, scratching you through your pyjamas, and sat on your shoulder, clawing at the loose, messy strands of hair by your ear.

Grabbing it by the neck, you set the kitten down on the kitchen table and said sternly, “That was not very kind, you evil little demon.”

At that moment, your boyfriend Tony walked in and sent you a sleepy smile. He wandered over to you, his drooping eyes and grease stained shirt clear signs that he hadn’t gone to bed last night. Placing a gentle kiss on your cheek, his goatee scratching your skin, he said, “Oh good, you’ve met Tiddles.”

“Tiddles? That vicious monster is called Tiddles?”

Tony stretched out his arm and let the kitten crawl up to his shoulder, where it nuzzled comfortably against his neck. Stroking it behind the ear, Tiddles purred in contentment and closed her eyes as he continued to shower her with attention. “Don’t you listen to that negativity. Y/N doesn’t know what they’re talking about. You’re adorable, Tiddles.”

He sat down at the table with the kitten on his shoulder and began reading the news on his tablet, while you continued making breakfast. Every now and then you felt his gaze on your back, watching you move around the kitchen with a clumsiness that he found utterly enchanting. Even after so many years together, you couldn’t help the flush that rose to your cheeks at being the focus of such adoration.

Sliding a plate in front of him, stealing a kiss as you sat on the stool beside his, you tucked in to your pancakes. Or you would have done if you hadn’t been so focused on swatting the kitten away from your plate. And as you tried to fend off the breakfast stealing ball of terror, it was Tony that helped himself to your food instead.

You picked up the kitten and set her on the tiled ground, snatching back what was left of your breakfast. As you ate, Tiddles pawed at your feet, her tiny claws getting stuck on the hem of your pyjama bottoms until she tore a hole in the fabric. Shaking your head, you asked, “Tony, baby, why do we have a kitten?”

“Pete was volunteering at that shelter and said that the cats needed a home. Says that because it’s nearing Christmas, the shelter refuses to take in new animals to stop people giving them as gifts to unwilling people.”

“That’s real admirable, love, but why… Wait… Cats? Plural? How many cats did you adopt, Tony?”

He sipped at his coffee, avoiding your gaze. “Uh… Maybe don’t go down to the lab today.”

Naturally, faced with that kind of restriction - especially since you were one of three people that were ever allowed into the lab at all (the other two being Pepper and Rhodey, his closest friends) - you immediately headed downstairs. FRIDAY tried to warn you to brace yourself but even her warning wasn’t enough for what you faced.

There, in the middle of the bench, was an entire litter of kittens.

“Don’t be mad,” Tony muttered from behind you. He rested his chin on your shoulder and slipped his arms around your waist, pulling you against him in a warm embrace. “I promise that I’ll look after them.”

Biting back the (painfully truthful) retort that he could barely look after himself, you followed his gaze over to his latest invention: some kind of robot clearly designed to cater to every possible need that a cat may have. There was a food dispenser, with ports for both wet and dry food, next to a similar device for providing fresh milk. There were moving scratching posts for the kittens to climb over and jump between. There was even a heated bed on a platform for them all to sleep in.

Your heart swelling at the effort that he’d gone to for these tiny creatures, you melted into his chest. You twisted your head around and dotted kisses up his neck, over his jaw and eventually his lips. “I’m not mad, Tones. Just tell me why.”

“They’re cute and when I tried to take only one they all looked so sad. I couldn’t say no. I also like the purring sound they make when they’ve been fed and are all blissed out in a food coma. It helps me think.”

Linking his fingers with yours, Tony pulled you towards the litter and lifted up the smallest of the kittens. He was pure white except a brown patch on his head, that looked an awful like someone had slapped a tiny toupe on the poor creature. Gently stroking its head, there was a flash of sadness in his eyes as Tony said, “This is Bruce. He’s really smart. When I’m trying to think something out, he talks to me and helps.”

“He talks to you?”

You gently ran your fingers over Bruce’s fur, smiling at the fond memories you had of the missing scientist. Banner hadn’t been seen since the debarkable with Ultron and you knew Tony wished he was around now that the rest of the team had disbanded. Obviously it wasn’t the same but if the kittens helped Tony get over the loneliness he so often felt then you weren’t going to deny him that.

Anyway, they were kind of cute when they weren’t trying to tear your clothes or skin.

Tony wore a soft expression as he watched you bonding with Bruce and knew instantly that he would be your favourite. Especially when he tried to take the kitten back and it hissed at him. Obviously Bruce preferred you to.

Brushing of the rejection, Tony began to play with the rest of the kittens and said, “I don’t mean talk talks. He just meows and it sounds intelligent. Like he’s agreeing with me. I need that reassurance sometimes.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Probably a little, yeah.”

“It’s a good thing I love you.”

“Love you too, honey. I’m so glad you’re back.”

“Me too, Tones.” You tilted your chin up, not so subtly clamouring for a kiss (which Tony was, naturally, more than happy to provide), when there was suddenly a loud crash from upstairs. It sounded an awful lot like the shattering of ornaments as a Christmas tree fell over. Taking count of the kittens in the lab, you narrowed your eyes and yelled, “Tiddles!”


End file.
